NightFlyers Series Review: Has Some Good Elements But Needs A Bit More Kick

After quite a bit of hype SyFy dropped all of the episodes last month. I'm not sure what the rational is for this bu they did something similar with the last season of "12 Monkeys". Did they just give up on the series or are they trying to be a NetFlix/Amazon/Hulu alternative?

Anywho, the series is based on a 1980 George RR Martin novella by the same name. It is billed as a "haunted house in space" series. The premiere starts with a bang. Dr Agatha Matheson (Gretchen Mol) runs for her life as she is tracked by an extremely homicidal guy with an axe. She manages to get at a warning message before slicing her own throat. That's quite an opening.

Flash back a few months. It's 2093 and Earth is dying. Astrophysicist Karl D'Branin (Eion Mackin) wants to make contact with an alien life form in order to get help. Others dont agree. He runs into the NighFlyer ship's captain Roy Eris (David Ajala). He is willing to undertake the voyage to Volkryn. Besides everything else thtat is going on, he is still grieving from his daughter's death (and estrangement from his wife).

We meet the other crew members. We previously saw a crazed Rowan (Angus Sampson). In the near past he seems like a nice enough guy. He serves as ships xenobiologist. Captain Eris appears to the crew only as a hologram. What's up with him? Lommie (Maya Eshet) is the ships IT expert and can communicate with it via a port in her arm. Melantha Jhirl (Jodie Turner-Smith) is genetically enhanced as part of the Genetic Space Program. She is much tougher than regular humans.

Thale (Sam Strike) is a telepath (called a L1 here). He has to be quarantined because contact to him can cause severe problems (including death). He was brought on board to contact the alien presence. Amanda serves as his psychiatrist. Amanda and Karl were previously in love-- so we can add that the potential sources of emotionally conflict. Auggie servers as ships engineer and has been aboard for twenty some years. He should not be trusted.

Strange things start happening. Karl becomes increasing mentally unstable and is convinced he can communicate with his dead daughter. A mechanical spider malfunctions and laser beams a few red shirts. Is the ship haunted? I'll let ya find out for yourself. Suffice to say, it's not what I had hoped for. Everyone on the ship is under attack but I dont care enough about the characters for it to matter.

There are some trippy events in the final three episodes so if you havent given up by then, you will be rewarded. I wont give all the specifics away here. Suffice to say, Mel learns some shocking facts about herself and Roy. The show ends on a cliffhanger but leaves room for a season 2 (should there be one).

Grade: 3 1/2 Monsters (out of 5). Not a horrible series but i wanted more. Despite a high production value and some scary moments, "NightFlyers" never reached it's potential. The performances from all the actors were all solid. There's just not enough new here to keep me coming back. The threat to the passenger is much less menacing than anticipated. It all seems a bit "meh" in the end.